Ok, I have a communication question...

creevamp13 · Post by **creevamp13** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 7:13 pm

Cell Phones?? Not because I have some crazy obsession with being on the phone....but because I am not taking my 3 beauties on this trip of a lifetime. My babies will be without me for 4 days, and I am afraid it will really change my mind about going if I cant at least kiss them good night over the phone. I cant NOT talk to my kids for that long. And common sense is screaming there are no cell towers on the Playa......help?

Cyndi-

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 7:31 pm

Nope. No cell phones.

Not unless you rent one of these http://www.worldcell.com/.

Coverage currently doesn't exist for cells.

talisen · Post by **talisen** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 7:34 pm

Dammit, and I was all prepared to be a smartass..........

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 7:40 pm

INCOMING! ..... *duck*

Ahem, to answer your question-

No there is no cell phone service on the playa (yet). I am aware of several people who brought satellite phones (incredibly costly). So probably the best thing for you to do would be to take the shuttle bus ($5.00) into Gerlach and use the pay phone there.
http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/ ... rvice.html

There is also a Wifi internet connection available for you if you have a lap top and a wifi card. You may want to use this to email your kids.
http://www.eugeneweb.com/~bm/ibm.html

There is also a group that may or may not bring computer terminals with internet connectivity to the playa next year:
http://roam.igargoyle.com/trailer/

Finally, you may want to consider that Burning Man is probably not the best place to be if you are concerned about someone reaching you in the event of an emergency.

technopatra · Post by **technopatra** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 11:08 pm

Chai Guy wrote: Finally, you may want to consider that Burning Man is probably not the best place to be if you are concerned about someone reaching you in the event of an emergency.

This is true...but perhaps the real solution is feeling comfortable with being away from your kids for a few days?

Your love for them is apparent. I'm guessing they love you right back. As a former child myself, I can guarantee they'll love you even more after missing you for a couple of days.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 11:16 pm

Surely you and your kids could come up with a creative solution.

You could write a note for each night you'll be gone and have those notes read to them at bedtime. or audio tape - you could tape a goodnight message for each night and *they* could tape one for you for each night. And everyone agrees to listen to the tapes at the same time. Just be sure to pack a walkman and extra batteries.

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Tue Jan 20, 2004 11:39 pm

Brilliant mom advice Lydia.

Last Real Burner · Post by **Last Real Burner** » Wed Jan 21, 2004 6:44 am

technopatra wrote:As a former child myself,

What do you mean "former", TP?

"Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but leather only hurts me."
quippingly,
mr smith

Gothalot · Post by **Gothalot** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 1:20 pm

I have two soup cans and some string you can borrow. The indians used smoke and blankets. When the man burns just make yer signals

juanicoheal · Post by **juanicoheal** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 1:34 pm

Heck - just bring 'em

See you in Kidsville!

que.f.o. · Post by **que.f.o.** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 2:28 am

LL's idea of the audio love messages is a great one. We did this with our four year old and baby when we went to Mexico for a week on our tenth anniversary. We also had goodie bags for each day to give them a treat. They will love you when you get back.

ZenRascal · Post by **ZenRascal** » Sun Feb 29, 2004 10:26 pm

Lydia, you're a genius! What a great idea. I've gotten into exchanging tapes a very few times when other communication wasn't feasible. Hearing someone's voice can make such a big difference.

Cyndi, depending on how much of a ham you are, you could pre-make some pretend "from the playa" tapes. Have some trance music in the background, interrupt what you're saying with things like, "Oh, look, there goes someone dressed as a ..." Kids have such great imaginations & fantasy lives they might get a kick out of it.

YMMV, perhaps that's not your style, but I'm a rascal and I get ideas like that!

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Mon Mar 01, 2004 3:17 pm

Just as a side note:

I was talking to a very nice couple last year that told me they had kids and leaving them was difficult, not because of a lack of communication but because the kids kept asking "But when do we get to go to the Black Rock City??"

Their response:

"When you can buy a ticket and drive yourself there, and even then, We're not telling you where we're camping!"

Last Real Burner · Post by **Last Real Burner** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:34 pm

Has anybody used one of those satellite phones?

Taniwha · Post by **Taniwha** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:55 pm

Last Real Burner wrote:Has anybody used one of those satellite phones?

yes - we use them on the playa to talk to the FAA when we fly rockets (not during the burn of course) - they are expensive but not incredibly so - dollars per minute I think, not tens of dollars (but I don't pay the bills so don't quote me)

Last Real Burner · Post by **Last Real Burner** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 8:09 am

Taniwha wrote:yes - we use them on the playa to talk to the FAA when we fly rockets

Jeez are you're rockets that big, that you need clearance from the FAA?

unbelievably,
mr smith

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 8:41 am

they are expensive but not incredibly so - dollars per minute I think, not tens of dollars...

Most contracts mandate a certain number of minutes that you're obligated to use during the term of the rental. Most contracts have a rate of around $4/min.

Tancorix · Post by **Tancorix** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 9:20 am

On some of my testing trips I get access to an Inmarsat M4 Mini-M; while my company provides mine, they can be rented for $169 per week @ $2.49 per minute, or $400 a month. Data speeds are 64,000 bps, voice quality is good to excellent. I've put them to use in some pretty rough terrain outside of Moab and they work great. A quick google search will help you find sources. You can also link 2 of them together for broadcast quality video; I've done that a handful of times, it's choppy but it works.

Taniwha · Post by **Taniwha** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 12:03 pm

Last Real Burner wrote:Jeez are you're rockets that big, that you need clearance from the FAA?

yes ....

most are a lot smaller though - we regularly fly up through normal FAA controlled airspace and have occasionally approached 100k ft (20 miles). I my case I'm pretty much limited to what I can fit in my truck and can afford to fly - I often fly up to 10-15k ft - more like the size of the one on display embedded in the tire outside Brunos house in Gerlach (NOT one of mine though I did see that happen ....)

The playa is a great place to fly - you can find a rocket with a chute easily and just drive up to it, and the air space is pretty much unused by commercial travel.

We file a 'NOTAM' with the FAA and have to open it every morning and close it at night - the phone saves driving back to Brunos to use the phone there. NOTAMs are supposed to warn aircraft to stay away .... in our case one that sais "thay're flying rockets out at Blackrock" seems to draw them like flies

We've been flying up there for longer than BM has been there (I've gone to the playa 3-4 times a year for - I think - 15 years) - we used to regularly go there for labor weekend - but after '95 we decided that it was too dangerous to run a range with so many people and now try to avoid Gerlach for a week on either side of a Burn (too much traffic, and cops on the road, Bruno's is full, gas prices are jacked up etc etc).

There are few rocket people like me that burn as well - I've tried to encourage more rocket people to come - they'd be the people out behind the Fist-o-God checking out the plumbing - but as a rule they tend to be a bit more 'socially conservative' .... and are more likely to believe all the BM horror stories the Gerlach natives tell ....

stuart · Post by **stuart** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 3:11 pm

all the BM horror stories the Gerlach natives tell ....

?

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 3:26 pm

Quote:

all the BM horror stories the Gerlach natives tell ....

I think that may have been in reference to the time Bill from the Texaco(?) station got caught up in the BM spirit and was seen sportin a two piece DKNY bathing suit with matching feather trimmed Calvin Klein open-toed mules.

Taniwha · Post by **Taniwha** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 3:26 pm

stuart wrote:
all the BM horror stories the Gerlach natives tell ....
?

oh you can guess .... drug crazed orgies in the desert .... that sort of

I think that the playa has always attracted the wierd and extreme ... the locals seem pretty used to it ... but it's a small town and they do like to talk.

I have a pre-BM book of photos http://www.keisterphoto.com/books/bk_others.htm of people doing strange stuff that looks like it was taken from the middle of a burn

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 3:29 pm

A Mom from our camp had a sattelite phone last year, worked very well. She used it 2 or 3 times to check in on the kiddies. About the same price as listed in a previous e-mail above. I used it once to call the wife to let her know our camp spot since she was arriving later in the week, and just to check it out. Good reception.

spectabillis · Post by **spectabillis** » Wed Apr 14, 2004 11:47 pm

Taniwha wrote:
Last Real Burner wrote:Jeez are you're rockets that big, that you need clearance from the FAA?
yes ....

Are you a member of NAR or Tripoli?

Taniwha · Post by **Taniwha** » Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:10 am

spectabillis wrote:Are you a member of NAR or Tripoli?

Both - Aeropac, the local Tripoli prefecture, http://www.aeropac.org has 3 launches on the playa each year - you are welcome to come and watch, or fly (except on EX days) though we'll hit you up for BLM fees (same place part of your burn ticket goes)

Ok, I have a communication question...

Ok, I have a communication question...

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